


Salt In The Wound

by TheDissappearingAct



Category: Incredibles (Pixar Movies), The Incredibles (2004)
Genre: Angst, F/M, i SUCK for writing this, this is SO different from what i usually do that idek if its worth it, tw rape mention, tw sexual assault mention, what the HECKKKKKKK
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-13 14:55:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15367101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDissappearingAct/pseuds/TheDissappearingAct
Summary: Villains are never strangers.





	1. Rubbing It In

**Author's Note:**

> This is VERY different from what I usually write but I had a weird dream and decided to write it out and... this is it. Strange? Yes. It's been on my mind and I didn't want it to just stay there so here you go. (The rape tag is just because it's mentioned. No actual rape scene.) First draft.

Helen sat down on her hotel bed, listening to the phone ring. Bob should have been at the hotel by now, he had said he would call before he got on the plane. Yet, he had done neither.  Winston had called her last minute to do this week long mission. She would have turned it away had it not been an ambush on a child trafficking ring. But that's what you did as a super, you gave small sacrifices for the greater good. 

"Hello?" 

"Hey, honey. Where are you?" she asked. 

"The flight's been delayed. I won't get there until tomorrow morning. If you count 3am as morning that is."

She rubbed her temple. This is exactly what she  _didn't_ need. "Ok, well on the bright side, the kids are at Edna's so you don't have to worry about them. And we're seeing each other tomorrow. It could be worse." 

She heard him sigh. "I guess. Well, get some sleep. It's late there. I love you."

"I love you too, goodnight."

She hung up the phone. Knowing there was no way she would be able to sleep, she decided to pack her things. As she was folding her clothes, she heard someone knock on the door. 

 _Who has the **audacity** to knock at this hour? _ She thought to herself before making her way to the door. It wasn't like she was doing anything anyway. She opened it to find a bellboy holding a small box. 

"Delivery for Ms. Parr?" 

"I didn't know they had bellhops deliver packages." She took the package from his hands. "Or that you could even deliver something to a hotel. Thank you." The boy hurried off as Helen inspected the box. It had a little card attached to it. She took it off and read the writing.

**_To Elastigirl. From your biggest fan._ **

_Well this is strange,_ she thought to herself. No one was supposed to know where she was staying and the hotel room was under the name Helen Parr.  _It was...probably delivered to Winston. And then Winston had it sent to me. Obviously. You're paranoid for nothing._

She opened the box to find chocolates. Dark chocolate caramels to be exact. Her favourite. How the fan found out, she didn't know. She had probably mentioned it in an offhand comment in an interview...right? 

She sighed. The lack of sleep and stress from the mission had come together to make her an anxious mess. But chocolate would definitely help. She popped a few in her mouth and felt the velvet melt on her tongue. She went back to the bed and picked up her notebook.  _Might as well finish the mission brief..._

Her eyelids fell heavy.  _Maybe I'm more tired than I thought._ But there was something off. This wasn't sleepiness, it was drowsiness. With every passing second her movements became more sluggish and her mind more hazy. The last thing she remember before blacking out was the  _click_ of the handle in her room turning. 

* * *

Helen woke up cold. That was the first thought that came to mind. She was uncomfortably cold. The second thought was that she was tied down. To a chair. In the middle of a large gray room. There were some sort of metal restraints on her arms and legs. In normal circumstances, they would have been easy to get out of. But as Elastigirl soon found out, these were not normal circumstances.

Elastigirl  _couldn't stretch._

For the first time in her life, her powers didn't work. Not a single limb of her was flexible and she didn't know why. 

Just then, she heard the doors open from the other side of the room. Two security guards walked in with a man in a suit behind them but she was too far away to see his face. She noticed that he was holding holding some sort of remote and the she heard him dismiss the guards. 

Helen's eyes widened in both recognition and horror of the voice. 

_James Nelson._

"Hey Helen! Long time no see. How have you been doing?" He smiled at her and she had never wanted to punch someone more. "I've seen the news clips of you. Stretching around, fighting crime and whatnot. What do they call you? The Rubberband Woman?"

Elastigirl stared at him. Right now, her silence was her greatest asset. The more he talked the more information she would gain. 

"Oh no, that was back in the glory days of supers." He laughed but it was hollow. "You know, when supers first went into hiding, doctors came out with this drug for supers with defensive powers. It promised, well, the absence of powers for up to twenty four hours. But it wasn't popular. Caused involuntary muscle twitching and overall soreness, not to mention severe drowsiness, especially in women." He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "But for our purposes, I think it works pretty well. Don't you think?"

_The chocolates... I should have known._

"It was easy enough to drug you. You're too trusting you know? And then money did the rest. They really overwork the staff there. It's such a shame, they're such nice people."

"What do you want from me?"

"I'll _get to that_! God, who would have thought you would become so impatient." He began to pace around the room. It was a habit that Helen remembered. He did it when he was nervous, when he felt like the situation was getting out of his control. "You know, my father was dedicated to supers. Yes, he was a disgustingly rich man, but he truly did the most to help build them up. He spent his whole life doing that." He paused and a look of anger flashed across his face. "But  _Mr. Incredible_ had to go and ruin it all. Everything my father worked so hard for. It put him in debt. And instead of taking care of it like a man, he left it to his only son as inheritance."

"Why did you bring me here?"

He turned to her and smirked. "Helen," She winced hearing him say her name. It had been a mistake to let him know her secret identity. A costly mistake. "We used to be a power couple. Do you remember it? Oh god, _Elastigirl and James Nelson_. The only female super on top and the son of the biggest super advocate. What a duo."

It was true. They had been a power couple. But they had broken up and Helen had believed there were no hard feelings. 

"But you weren't always at the top, remember? When  _we_ started dating you were nothing. Nobody. Even you know that. Every other day I was bailing you out of jail for getting involved in police matters. But I did it because I loved you."

"That's not true." She had been quiet for long enough. "You encouraged it. Sure I wanted to do it but I was never dragging you along with me. You came along because you wanted to. You came along because you wanted everyone to know _you were dating Elastigirl._ "

"And why do you think people started caring about you? Because you were with _me_. Admit it, you had nothing before I picked you up from that alley. You were nothing until you were my girlfriend. And I did it all because I  _loved you._ " He turned to her, his eyes turning hard. "And you? You used me. You used me to get up to the top and then you left. You left for... for...  _Mr. Incredible._ " He spat out his name like it had turned sour in his mouth. "You know what I think? Shit, I don't even think you guys started dating after we broke up. I think, that the whole time you were using me, you were out there traipsing with Mr. Incredible. While my father was working to help both of you, you two were betraying his only son."

"I  _didn't_ cheat on you." she said through gritted teeth. "Your father did more harm that good in both of our lives and you know it. And yes, I did start dating Bob after I left you. But that was _after_.  _After_ what your father did to us. Hell, he deserves more than just debt for his actions. He was-

"STOP STOP STOP." James' face had turned red. He pulled out the remote from his pocket and turned the dial.

It took a few moments for Helen to realize what was happening. The chair was electric. She was being shocked. 

The pain grew but it was nothing she couldn't handle. She had definitely suffered worse. Yet it still took all her willpower not to wince or cry out in pain. There was no way she was letting James gain the pleasure of seeing her so helpless. Instead she stared him down, her jaw clenched, the faint buzzing of the chair filling the room. 

"Well, that's one way to shut you up." He smiled at her. 

"Are-" The pain had reached her jaw and it hurt to speak. "Are you going to kill me?"

"No." He paused, walking towards her. "I'm going to use you like you used me." He cupped her chin, looking her straight in the eyes. "Do you know how much some people would pay for  _just an hour_ with _the_ Elastigirl?"

Helen's eyes widened in shock. 

He started to walk out. "Don't worry. You and I both have a few hours to prepare." She heard the him turn the dial and the chair stopped buzzing. He looked over his shoulder at her and smirked. "And what sort of salesperson would I be if I didn't sample the goods." He left the room, leaving Elastigirl in silence. 

She needed to get out. The guards had surprisingly left so she had the room to herself but it was no use if she couldn't get out of the chair. If there was some way she could contact someone...

 _The bracelet._ It was a bangle really. Edna had made it to look plain and unsuspecting but it was basically impossible to take off. There was a button on the inside which would alert Bob but... Helen had no way to reach it with both her hands tied on opposite ends. She closed her eyes, trying to think. It was then she realized that her fingers had grown a little longer. Not by a lot, but enough. If she could stretch the fingers on one hand to reach the bracelet it would work. It was her only hope at that moment. She even know what time it was or where Bob was but... this was all she had for now. She concentrated, feeling her strength melt away as her fingers grew. Soon she felt cold metal graze her fingertips and quickly pressed the button. She didn't know when James was coming back but her best plan now was just to distract him. 

He was delusional. She shouldn't have trusted him the way she did. But she had been young and he had had so much power. It was power that Helen had only heard of. And she fell for it and him. He was wrong, she never dated him only to use him. At one point, she did love him. But they grew apart and Helen broke it off. It had seemed like a mutual breakup. She had thought there were no hard feelings. But she had been wrong. 

The sound of the door opening pulled her out of her thoughts. James walked in with his guards. "I'll handle it from here," he said to them and they left. Helen debated fighting him right then. She would have probably beat him, even without her powers, but she had no idea where she was and she wasn't sure if she was strong enough to fight the guards that were outside. She had no suit so she was vulnerable to basically any attack. Not to mention, there was no way for her to get out of the chair without him finding out and alerting someone. 

James walked over to her and stroked her cheek.

She stared at the door behind him, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of looking her in the eye. 

"God, you've barely aged after all these years." he remarked. "But I guess that's what happens when you're elastic."

"Don't. Touch. Me." she said through gritted teeth.

"I  _do_ what I want."

"Like father, like son." A bitter laugh escaped her throat. 

He ran his thumb over her clenched jaw. "Why are you so tense, Helen? Be a little  _flexible._ " He leaned close and dragged a finger from the top of her neck to the end of her shoulder. His voice was barely a low whisper. "And anyways, _its nothing we haven't done before._ "

Just then, alarms started to blare.  


	2. Washing It Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rough because I wrote different parts at different times. A chapter three may be coming.

_**INTRUDER ALERT** _

The alarm blared out of what Helen had thought were vents. She looked at James to find his face hard but fear glimmered in his eyes. There was the sound of struggle outside. Outside, she could hear gunshots. With a distraction, she would probably be able to sneak out, she just need to get rid of James. Summoning all the strength she had, Helen pushed him off with one arm and punched him across the face with the other. In normal circumstances, this would have knocked him out but she had underestimated how weak she was. He fell back and then got up immediately, fury in his eyes. 

"You  _bitch_ ," He pulled out the remote from his back pocket. "I'm going to hurt you, as much as you hurt me." He turned the dial slowly until it was all the way up.

Elastigirl heard the buzzing before she felt the shock. With every passing second it become more and more excruciating. She let out a cry. It felt like dozens of scalding knives were stabbing her muscles, going straight to the bone. In her pained haze, she heard the door break down and saw someone walk in. The man lifted James with ease and threw him like a stone against the wall. The remote fell out and broke but the chair's current continued. The man rushed up to Helen and she finally realized it was Bob. She tried to say something but even the smallest movement caused agony. He must have figured something out because the next thing she knew he had broken her restraints and pulled her out of the chair. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was Bob taking her in his arms and feeling like every inch of her skin was burning. 

* * *

Bob rushed out of the room, clutching a limp Helen to his chest. The super's ambulance was waiting outside but every second counted. He felt bullets ricochet off of his suit and they stung but right now all his attention was on Helen. She was strangely cold but the main thing he couldn't figure out was why she couldn't escape. The restraints were pretty simple and she should have been able to get out with her powers. He shuddered, thinking about how he had found her. He had borrowed a jet from a friend as soon as he got the SOS message on his phone. He then alerted police and broke into the building, capturing the security team and figuring out where Helen was by the security camera footage. He saw enough to figure out what was going to happen. Saw the man walk towards her cup her chin. It was a split second thing but it heightened his urgency. And then when he walked into the room, seeing her strapped down like that enraged him. But it was soon overcome by fear as he saw her writhe in pain. Bob couldn't remember was happened next but all that mattered was that he now had Helen is his arms. He would die before he let anyone harm her. As soon as he walked out of the building, paramedics rushed up to him. Until now, he hadn't realized his face was bleeding. "It's Elastigirl. She won't wake up." he said. They brought over a stretcher to him and he lay her down. He realized that he had never seen her so still. Even when she was sleeping she was doing something, moving slightly. Now, the only thing moving was the shallow breathing of her chest. He was pulled away and his wounds were treated to but he never took his eyes off of her, worrying that if he did, she'd be gone again. 

* * *

Bob paced around the waiting room, wringing his hands in worry. His phone buzzed in his pocket. It had been ringing non stop for the past ten minutes but he felt like if he picked it up he would vomit. He gave in and looked at the number.  _Lucius._ He picked up.

"How's her condition?"

"She's stable and awake but they won't let me see her until they've done all the tests."

"That's good isn't it?"

"Yeah... it's good... I guess. But stable just means she's barely alive."

"It's Helen, Bob. She'll get through this. She one hell of a woman."

"Lucius..." His voice cracked. "I'll never forgive myself if something's happened to her."

"She'll make it through Bob."

He noticed a doctor walking towards him. "Hey, I think they're going to update me. I'll let you know what happens."

"Stay strong Bob."

He hung up the phone and hurried toawards the doctor. She was young, maybe in her late twenties, with sleek black hair cut short.

"How's her condition?"

"She's stable and responsive. She's got some minor burns and bruises but those can be easily treated. What we were worried about was paralysis."

His breath caught in his throat.

"But she seems to be regaining use of her limbs. By the end of the day, she should be fine. Her powers are returning at a slower rate. The pills and the electricity had a strange affect on her. She's healthy though, so we're thinking her powers will be back by the end of the week. If they don't, we'll have to run more tests. On that note, the chair was an unusually piece of equipment. It seemed to cause only pain, not any actual physical harm, so her stress is more mental than physical."

"Can I see her?"

"Her tests are done so I don't see why not."

He hurried to her room and opened the door. Helen was sitting on her bed, staring intently at the tv screen, watching the news. He quickly realized they were doing a segment on her mission. Showing the girls being carried out from the buildings by her. The clip then switched to her suit cam, Elastigirl beating people up left and right. She was so engrossed she didn't even notice him come in. 

"Helen?" he said softly, as if he spoke to loud he would hurt her. 

She looked up, shutting the tv off. "Bob,"

He walked slowly towards her, finally sitting down at the end of her bed. 

"The kids?" she asked. Even after everything she'd been through, that was her first priority. 

"With E."

"Do they know?"

"I told them you were hurt but nothing more. I didn't want them to worry. E knows everything though. She got the signal from your bracelet."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Just Winston and Lucius." He noticed a bruise on her neck the size of his hand. The doctor had said  _minor_ bruising but it covered half of her neck. "Speaking of which, the girls you saved, they're doing well. Five of them have been treated and released from the hospital already."

"That's good..." she replied, staring at her palms.

He pulled her into a hug. It was pure instinct and for a moment he was worried that he hurt her. But then she pulled her arms around him and he started to sob. 

"No, don't cry. You're going to make me cry and..." Tears were already welling up in her eyes. She pressed her face against his chest and they stayed like that for a while until he pulled away, looking at her. 

"How are you feeling?" he asked, brushing a lock of hair from her face. 

She averted her eyes. "Uh, fine."

"Helen, why are you lying? You're literally sitting in a hospital bed."

She laughed. "Fine, you got me. I'm in some pain but its nothing I can't handle."

"Didn't they offer you painkillers or some sort of-"

"They did, Bob. But I refused them. I just... am going to stay as far away from pills as I can. I know it's just paranoia but it makes me feel more in control." She put her head in her hands. "God, I'm so stupid."

"What?"

"I shouldn't have taken the chocolates and I-"

"Helen," he cut her off. "None of this is your fault. There's probably dozens of supers who get chocolates and eat them and don't get kidnapped. I can't let you blame yourself for this."

"Okay." She looked up at him. "Then you have to promise me you're not blaming yourself for this either."

He smiled at her. "You know me so well, damn it."

Just then, the doctor walked in. "Good news," she said, holding up a file. "You're not only clear to be discharged but I after some consultation we've decided that you'll be able to fly too as long as you don't walk."

"Let's go then." Bob got up. "The kids are waiting." 

 


	3. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past is shoved to the present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for tuning into this episode of ANGST. I hope you like it! (and the fic in general).

Helen sat on the bed, flipping through channels on the television screen, her mind elsewhere. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't know Bob had walked in until he stood in front of the television screen. 

"Honey? I'm worried about you." 

He really had no reason to be. She was in perfectly good health. "I'm fine," she replied but he wouldn't stop looking at her with concern. 

"Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer if you don't want to but its... been bothering me. And I think it might be bothering you to."

"Bothering me?"

"You've been different ever since you came back." he said, sitting down beside her. "You've become... distant. Always lost in thought."

"I guess... What is it that you want to ask?"

"I- I saw the tapes. When I walked into the security room. He was videotaping everything." He paused. "I saw what he was planning on doing with you."

Helen closed her eyes, trying to slow down the beating of her heart. The doctors had warned her about this, that the memory would be more painful than the event itself but it still didn't make it less disorienting. She grabbed for Bob's hand, out of habit, and relaxed just a little when he squeezed it. 

"We can talk about this another time, if you want. I don't want to-"

"No, its fine."

"You said something about his father, Charles Nelson. He used to hold those galas you hated to go to. And conferences right?"

"Yeah..."

"There's something you're not telling me." She looked up at him, his face filled with worry. "I don't want you to think you  _have_ to tell me but... I don't want you to carry a burden."

She took a deep breath and began to speak. "James was right. I was a nobody until I started dating him-"

"Helen-"

"It's the truth. But I worked my way up. He helped, a little, but I did most of the work. I did... I did love him. I wasn't using him." She was surprised to hear how small her voice sounded. "His father was a wildly influential man. A rich man too. He got what he wanted, whenever he wanted it."

She started to bite her lip and then stopped, knowing Bob would notice it and worry even more.

"He wanted me."

A heavy silence settled between them. 

"What?"

"He never got me, of course." she continued. "My powers are flexibility. You know, I always suspected it but I thought I was just being paranoid. And then one day he calls me into his study and... tried to feel me up." 

She felt Bob tense up beside her. "I'll... I'll kill him..."

"He's dead."

He looked back at her. "What did you do?"

"I... I decided to tell James. He took it surprisingly well, or so I thought. But then the next day he acted like it had never happened. Like there was no way his father could do something like that." She sighed. "A few weeks later I broke it off. It was really a mutual break up. I thought there were no hard feelings. I guess- I guess I was wrong."

"That's why you didn't want to go to the galas and the conferences. God, he would... He would ask to dance with you and I would say yes." Bob gritted his teeth, the concern in his eyes hardening to anger. "I'm so _stupid_."

"There's no way you could have known. It's in the past now. And there was no point in telling anyone else. He had too much power."

He softened and then turned to her. "Why didn't you tell me? After all these years?"

"It... was in the past. If no one else knew about it I could pretend it never happened."

"Helen," He squeezed her hand. "I'm here. Even just to listen. It doesn't have to be you against the world."

 _It's been so long like that I don't know how to forget it._ she wanted to say. Instead she just offered a smile and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I love you.  _So much._ "

"I love you too."

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to split this up into 2, maybe 3 chapters to give it a little structure and also because i CAN NOT write this much that fast. Another chapter coming soon!


End file.
